Case Study - HTML5 Games For In-flight Entertainment (IFE) Systems

published 01-18-2019

In-flight entertainment (IFE) has become an integral part of modern airline services due to the unique quality experience and comfort it provides to passengers. Flights have elaborate entertainment selection ranging from music and dining lounges to the commonly-seen seatback screens. Music, movies, games, e-books, and other forms of entertainment can be found in a single device attached to the back of the seat.

We’ve helped a millennial-centric airline company in launching their IFE games to attract a younger generation of travelers. Since utilizing a personalized seatback screen for every passenger is
costly to implement and maintain, we used a simpler solution: a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) system.

Evolving Industry Practice for IFE

Business models for IFE are currently focused on the use of seatback screens provided in every seat of airline carriers. These screens provide additional leisure-related airline services to customers for a small fee in exchange for a wide array of choices. Even though these devices offer customizable experience to customers, they have also become a burden to many airline companies due to their high capital expenditure.

Now, airline companies are aiming to remove the seatback screens
in favor of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model for IFEs. Coincidentally, the rise of Wi-Fi services in flights has provided an added opportunity for what is called a Wireless in-flight entertainment (W-IFE) that can both be cheaper and more accessible to frequent flyers. With these changes, HTML5 games are seen to be the most accessible solution for airlines to provide premium games to their clients.

HTML5 Games as an immersive form of Airline Service

Games are an effective pastime activity during flights. The interactive and challenging aspect of a HTML5 game as an airline service makes players enjoy the long flight ahead of them. Compared to an e-magazine, movie or song, games provide a 2-way interaction, resulting in a more immersive airline service experience.

Added Value of HTML5 games to In-flight Entertainment

HTML5 games improve In-flight Entertainment through the following benefits:

1. Monetizes additional services

Using HTML5 games for in-flight entertainment serves as an additional source of revenue for flights. Passengers can now play games by ordering a premium flight package. With IFE expected to grow by 16.4% within an eight-year forecast, there are several opportunities to monetize this airline service using reliable technology such as HTML5.

The millennial-centric airline we had worked with currently operates over 10 planes with an average of 200 passengers per aircraft and aims to offer 200+ flights a week. That’s a potential market size of more than 2 million millennial passengers each year.

2. A rich catalog of games and apps

Games, in general, offer a unique and widely-accepted form of leisure to have fun, unwind, and relax. Different genres of games allow all passengers to play their preference.

Besides white label games, we have also started offering branded game experiences to passengers. An example includes Oddbods, a very popular animation brand with 3.6 billion views on Youtube, with fans from all around the world.

We find that branded game experiences tend to be more engaging and fulfilling, especially to the audience that knows them.

In addition to games, we are also helping clients deploy wellness and mindfulness related apps. These apps help passengers relax during their flight and improve their well-being.

3. Maintains a lightweight platform

Like all onboard frameworks, technology and power have limitations. Entertainment systems are developed to fit into an aircraft’s operating system. HTML5 technology works best as it does not require additional plugins or apps, making it the ideal platform for IFE games.

HTML5 games are also perfect for a BYOD platform as they can fit any device and web browser used by passengers. These games require minimal file sizes and power consumption to work. And most of all, they only require one device (the IFE box) to maintain instead of thousands of seatback screens in an aircraft.

Conclusion

HTML5 games allow airline passengers to enjoy interactive entertainment without any worries resulting in a highly positive brand experience. Airline companies should greatly benefit from HTML5 games for their reliable but less costly implementation. HTML5 technology minimizes compatibility issues in IFE systems, especially in BYOD business models which rely on a passenger’s device.